Vegetarian meals can have a reputation of leaving you hungry and then more prone to snacking.

But a new small study has found that a bean-based meal provides a similar feeling of fullness to a beef-based meal.

The participants in the University of Minnesota study ate lunches containing a "meatloaf" made from either beef or beans with each being the same in weight, kilojoules and fat.

The beef meal provided 26 grams of protein and three of fibre, while the bean meal provided 17 of protein and 12 of fibre.

All participants showed no difference in appetite ratings over three hours, after eating either the beef or the bean meals.

They also consumed the same amount of calories at the next meal eaten, said the study published in the Journal of Food Science.

The findings support the idea that plant-based proteins with high fibre may offer similar appetite regulation as animal protein, the researchers said.

DREAM ON

Does vitamin B enhance dreaming?

Early research suggests that taking vitamin B6 may make dreams more vivid, colourful, emotional and bizarre.

Other B vitamins may also help people to remember their dreams or have lucid ones, where they are aware they're dreaming while they're dreaming, says University of Adelaide psychology student Denholm Aspy.

He's studying dreams for his PhD project and hopes to uncover how people can gain more control over them.

Mr Aspy says lucid dreams could possibly be used to overcome nightmares, treat phobias, creative problems and even help with rehabilitation from physical trauma.

Participants will be given capsules containing vitamin B6 or numerous B vitamins or a placebo during the 10-day study.

For more information email denholm.aspy@adelaide.edu.au.

TAI CHI BENEFITS

Tai Chi provides physical benefits for older people with chronic conditions such as arthritis and cancer.

And the ancient Chinese art could in future be prescribed for patients with a number of illnesses, say the University of British Colombia researchers.

The research, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, analysed 33 studies to find out the effectiveness of Tai Chi for people with cancer, osteoarthritis, heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

It showed the exercise improved or showed a tendency to improve physical performance outcomes, including six-minute walking distance and knee extensor strength, in most or all four chronic conditions.

It also helped with pain and stiffness in arthritis.

MASCULINE FACIAL FEATURES LINKED TO WOMB

Babies of both sexes who were exposed to higher levels of testosterone in the womb have more masculine facial features as adults, new research suggests.

The findings challenge the previously held notion that hormones during puberty were the main contributor to masculine facial features.

"We now believe that differences in facial structure may be largely determined during prenatal life and testosterone surges during puberty simply exaggerate those existing differences," says the study's lead author, Professor Andrew Whitehouse.

The study, by the Telethon Kids Institute at the University of Western Australia, is published in the Royal Society journal Proceedings B.

The researchers, who used data from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study, examined testosterone concentrations in the umbilical cord blood of 183 male and female newborns, taken 20 years ago.

Using 3D technology, they then compared those results to facial images of the participants as adults and found higher levels of testosterone in utero led to more masculine facial features.

"Generally speaking, men have wider foreheads, wider noses, longer noses and wider eyes, but this computer algorithm allows us to measure this with sub-millimetre precision," said Prof Whitehouse.

"We found even within the sexes, individuals appeared more or less masculine depending on how much testosterone they were exposed to in the womb."